Located on the site of a former Ford automobile plant, the 158-room Row Hotel opened in August in Somerville's popular Assembly Row development. With 6,192 square feet of meeting space and two semi-private outdoor terraces, the Row can accommodate events for groups of as many as 300 in its nine private event spaces. The intimate 630-square-foot Ford B room holds as many as 44 guests for a reception or 20 for a conference. For larger events, the combined Assembly A&B rooms create a 2,912-square-foot space that accommodates 300 standing guests or 160 schoolroom style. With full audiovisual capabilities, the hotel's audiovisual team is always on deck to help.
With 34,000 square feet of meeting and event space, MGM Springfield opened in August 80 miles west of Boston. Its ballrooms, meeting rooms, and boardrooms sit adjacent to a 6,200-square-foot outdoor terrace, which provides ample natural light to pre-function areas. Spaces include the 10,600-square-foot Aria Ballroom, which accommodates 1,052 guests for a reception or 432 for a classroom-style event, and the 5,600-square-foot Bellagio Ballroom with room for 554 guests reception-style or 360 for a banquet. The resort complex includes a 250-room hotel and dining options, including Cal Mare from chefs Michael Mina and Adam Sobel, a 125,000-square-foot casino, and a Topgolf Swing Suite. The nearby MassMutual Center, operated by MGM Springfield, offers an 8,000-seat venue and 100,000 square feet of large-scale event space.
A mainstay of Boston's Seaport, Del Frisco's opened its second Boston location in the Back Bay neighborhood in July. The 17,603-square-foot steak house features interior seating for 450, and a patio that seats 32. There are seven distinct spaces for private and semi-private dining events for as many as 200 guests. For smaller groups, the 215-square-foot Rothschild room seats 12 guests, while larger groups can meet in the 1,655-square-foot Prudential room, which seats 130 guests, or holds 150 for receptions. All of the private rooms have a 70-inch screen with HDMI/VGA connection, with some equipped with handheld microphones.
Located in the recently opened Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel, Better Sorts Social Club is a glamorous hideaway that opened in October. The 2,017-square-foot venue, which features Black Walnut wood walls, custom European oak flooring, and moody dark green accents, features a 14-seat bar and 62-seat lounge. There's also the intimate Gardner Room, a 204-square-foot private space, which can accommodate eight seated guests or 15 cocktail-style. The Gardner Room is equipped with two flat screen LED televisions and has full audiovisual capabilities.
Channel your inner Katniss Everdeen at Archery Games Boston, the city's only family-friendly archery tag arena. The 13,000-square-foot facility opened in March and welcomes corporate parties and outings for instruction, training, target practice, and a refereed game. The arena accommodates 12 players per team, totaling 24 for a single session. However, larger groups can book double sessions to accommodate more people. The space has full audiovisual hook ups, but planners must provide equipment.
A new Latina kitchen and rum bar, Casa Caña, opened in August inside the new boutique hotel, Studio Allston. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is available for full or partial buyouts in a variety of setups: A 200-square-foot semi-enclosed private dining room, which seats 16, is bounded by two small decorative wing walls and features a large-scale botanical mural. There's also a 5,600-square-foot courtyard, with an additional 106 seats as well as fire pits and another bar. For a full buyout that includes the 74-seat dining room and the courtyard, the restaurant can accommodate as many as 400 standing guests or 100 for a seated dinner.
Combining Asian and Latin American cuisines with a touch of Middle Eastern influence, Nahita opened in the historic 100 Arlington building in September. The 10,000-square-foot restaurant, which boasts a striking ambiance, has an 1,100-square-foot private dining room that can accommodate from 24 to 40 seated guests or 66 reception-style. The private dining room can be divided into two separate spaces. It also has a projector.
Located in the Fort Point neighborhood, Bastille Kitchen debuted its new private dining room, the Gallery, in August. The 526-square-foot space can accommodate 50 guests for a seated dinner or 60 for a cocktail-style event. The Gallery features a 42-inch plasma screen with HDMI hookup and connectable sound systems for guests to play their own music.
Opened in September, the 5,000-square-foot Burnin' By Ray is dedicated to low-impact, high-intensity workouts using motorless cardio equipment and strength training. There are two conjoined classrooms totaling 1,800 square feet for dedicated classes of up to 55 participants total, as well as a juice bar, lounge, and "Bod Pod" that measures body metrics. The entire space holds 111 guests at a time, while as many as 55 people can take the class, filled with neon lighting, upbeat music, and video at the same time.
Tucked in Faneuil Hall, the 2,000-square-foot bar and restaurant Sons of Boston features a long oak bar, a stage for live bands and DJs, and seating for as many as 60 guests for lunch or dinner. There's also a 15-seat bar. The walls are covered with art by Ari Hauben, a Boston public school art teacher, that gives a nod to the city’s rebellious attitude. Serving up classic New England fare in a casual environment, the venue opened in July and is available for full or partial buyouts. Cocktail aficionados, take notice: Sons of Boston has its own locally distilled house rum.
